Ventilating air distributor



Jan, 6, 1948. E. s. BUCK V VFKNTILATING AIR DISTRIBUTOR Filed April 22, 1944 vla-sof.

30% nf' air 1N VENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 6, 1948 l UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE 2,433,981 vENTmATmG vAIR DISTRIBUTOR Everett s. Buck, Fort Wayne, Ina.

Application April 22, 1944, Serial No. 532,371

11 claims. (c1. sts-4o) This invention relates to air discharge xtures which are used in heating, Ventilating and/or air conditioning systems to dischargeV air from a duct into a room which is to be supplied with air and to distribute it in the room. More specifically, it relates to a device, for which I have coined the descriptive word .placque, which is connected to an air duct outlet neck, and which comprises a deflector which is a metal sheet formed into a very low pyramid and disposed substantially opposed to they direction' of the flow of air issuing from the duct neck so that the air is discharged from the deflector substantially parallel thereto at greater velocity than that oi the air issuing from the neck. The device includes dampers and deflector adjustment means whereby the flow of air leaving the deflector is completely controlled as to volume, velocity and direction.

In the usual systems used for distributing either warm or cool air from a blower to a room, a series of ducts are connected to the main duct and arev disposed above the ceiling of the room. It is the usual practice to connect one or more xed opening air outlets to the branch ducts and to divert into the branch ducts by means of dampers, also commonly called splitters or scoops in the main duct, the amount oi'` air required by the outlets attached to the branch ducts. v

- These damperstcreate turbulence in the ducts and render the system less eiicient. The air impinging on these dampers often causes air noises and rattles which are obnoxious.. Further, the

dampers .cannot be readily adjustedif they are, incorrectly set on installation. Another diiicultyv is that sometimes the necessary dampers are omitted entirely during installation of the system and it is an expensive procedure to install them ata later date. Applicant eliminates the need for such dampers by providing control at the outlet into the room. n

Diiiiculty is also encountered in securing proper blanketing of the walls or other surfaces through which the undesirable heat transfer is occurring. In order to blanket these Walls, the air being supplied to the room must just lose perceptible velocity as it reaches'the wall, to prevent ob# jectionable down drafts. This requires a fine control of velocity of the air'andis almost irnpossible to attain unless the air velocity can be adjusted after the installation'is made. Ap` plicant provides this control by providing complete means for adjusting the volume of iiow, the velocity and the direction of flow of the air discharged.

In theory, a jet of air striking a flat plate disposed at right angles to the iiow, leaves the plate at double theentering velocity. The velocities actuallyA attained by applicants device 2 inpractice are up to of the velocity of the air issuing from Athe duct neck.

Applicant provides a deflector which may be a iiat plate, but which is preferably the above describedvlow pyramid, arranged transversely of the jet of air issuing from the duct neck. Dampers arel fitted tothe device and close downwardly toward the deflector on each side thereof. The defiector'is mounted rfor'movement toward and away from a series of dampers so as to adjust the volume of air issuing between the dampers and the deflector. Adjustment of these dampers controls the volume and velocity of air discharged each direction and, consequently, the distance which-each stream travels. They, with the sloping sides of the deflector, also deflect the streams vertically so as to affect the distance travelled by them` and to prevent contact betweenthe air streams and the ceiling. They also cooperate with the" pyramidal deector to direct the air laterally orl horizontally. toward the walls to be blanketed.

The controlv of the vertical direction of the stream is especially important because any contact of a high velocity stream with the ceiling of the room -Will result in streaking of the ceiling.

A damper,` which is preferably a slide damper, isv placed over each duct neck to regulate the total volume of air which is discharged through a single iixture.

The discharge of air in a relatively thin, wide, high velocity stream having a relatively small cro'ssfsectional ory frontal area alongthe ceiling of a room induces mixture of room air with the incoming air in many times the volume of the incoming air which produces a much more eincient Ventilating effect than would be attained by a slow velocity stream having a large crosssectional or frontal area.

It will be apparent from the above discussion that an object of the invention is to provide an air outlet fixture which has a deflector for increasing the velocity of the air issuing from a duct neck and dampers for forming and for completely controlling theV several compass directions, in addition to the required angular directions and velocity of the air stream issuing from the deiiector.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deiiector, adjustable dampers cooperating therewith, andV sector on said dampers which are adjustableparallel to said dampers to form therewithv a continuous, circumferential deflector entirely surrounding said deflector.

Another object of the invention is to provide a l iixture of the kind described which is readily attachable to the outlet neck of an air duct.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deflector which is securely mounted in adjustablev 3 spaced relation with respect to the adjustable dampers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a d'electorf which is mounted asV described and which is' provided with adjustable dampe'rs to aid in regulating the direction and velocity of the air discharged in one or more compass directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a xture which is tted with adjustable dampers, and which has a deiiector mounted in adjustable spaced relation with respect to the dampers by means which permit instant levelling, yetY use a minimum of material to' attain complete stability and security. v Y

Another object of the invention is'to provide a substantially flat dei-lector which is disposed at rightangles'to the flow of air leaving the' duct so that greater velocities of air leaving the d'eii'ector may be' attained'.

further object of the invention is to provide means for `controlling `the velocity of the ejected air soas tomaintain a blanket of air being discharged over the walls where the heat exchange is taking place'. Y

Another object of the invention is to control the vertical direction of the air so that the ceilingof the room will not be contacted by rapidly moving air and be streaked.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such complete control of the air issuing from theiiXture that the neck leading from the main duct may be deliberately oversized andr a simple slide' placed over the duct neck (or a simple butterfly in case of long duct necks) to control volurne, thus eliminating the use of splitters, scoopsf Vor other velocity flow-diverters or main trunk vdampers which cause turbulence and loss of pressure; Thus, o'n'e or more xtur'es'may later be selected toz deliver as much as double the originally 'designed volume, without requiring excessive fan` speedl to overcome these turbulence losses characteristic in conventional 4ductegrille and? duct-fixture' systems.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a placque which will discharge a thin, wide, high velocity stream of air toward the walls to be blanketed. d Y

'Still another object is to provide av dei-lector which is instantly adjustable with `respect to the duct vneck so as to vary the volume and velocity of the air issuing from the deflector.

These and other objects will become apparent from a study of the drawings which are attached hereto and `Iliade a part hereof and in which:

Figure r1 is a diagrammatic elevation showing th'e du'ct andfdisc'harg'e fixture and also the path of the discharged air from the fixture.

Figure 2` is aplan view Vof the diagram of Figure- 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the duct, neck, deflector and one damper.

Figure 4 is an elevationwith parts broken away showing the deector and two dampers, together with the sectors mounted thereon.

Figurel is a plan view of one corner of the nxture showing the assembled structure.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the Vnumeral I represen-ts the ceiling of the room to be supplied with air, 3 represents the main duct which is connected toa 'blower or fan, and 5 is the branch 'duct which is provided with an outlet neck 1. This neck is usually square or round and 4 extends about an inch below the surface of the ceiling. The neck shown in the drawings is square. n

A damper' Bof any suit'abl'efkind?, here shown as a` slide damper', issupplied above the neck 1 and in the duct 5.

A collar II which conforms to the exterior periphery oth'ef neck 'I is suitably secured to the neck and 4is preferably provided with bosses I3, onein each corner, which are perforated as at I2 andY tapped' t-o/receive the deector supporting screws I5.

The* upper or air impinging surface of the deflector is preferably formed as a low, regular pyramidhaving four laterali faces where four directiofisoff flow are required; The number of faces may `y-arywith thev requirements. The angle formed between the base and any lateral face should be" small because the increase in velocity ofthe `air leaving the deil'ector is a definite func` ti'on ofy this angl'e In' practice it has been found that angles of from' 3 to 3'0' degrees are suitable. Theldele'ctor may' be circular in plan if desired. In any'case; th'e deflector extends a substantial distance beyond' the farthest extent of the main danpe tojA straighten the stream vof air.

I`5 pass throughthe denector which is n y d'o'n the heads I6 thereof and the distancebeftween the deect'or and the air neck may bea'djlus'ted by screwing or unscrewing the screws from the bosses I"` y Y A 'rod'v I`8`is bent into `a lsquare landv attached at the corners to the collar 'I adjacent the lower edge thereof. n y

y Four wing dampers 20, f2. 2li and 2li,v are attached to; the rod..V As shown in Figures 4 andv 5 eachdamper is 'providedswitha projection 28 centrally of the upper edge which isv inserted betweenthe -rod I8 and the collar II and then bent outwardly Aaround the. rod. The friction between the rod and projection 2-8 and between 28 and tnefcollar II serves to -hold the damper firmly in ,any adjusted position.

Avsector shaped dam-per 30,Y hereinafter called asector dampen. is pivotally attached to each of tlf1`e""u pper"cornersofeach damper by means of a rivet Each sector damper is formed as a quadrant' with a radius equal to the height or fdinfensi'dn of!y the wing damper. The sector7 fdarfipers are' .preferably mounted on top of 'thffe wing 'dampers and", `as' shown in Figure 4', I be rotatediiroln any extended position, one df is by full lines, to the fun'y retracted position shown in dotted lines in which the outer edges of the sectorand wing d'ampersl are paralleli *Y Als'o', 'as'sliownin Figure 4*, rinany rotated po'- sitions of two' adjacent wing dampers, the two a j cent sectondampers may be extended untiltlieir .cuterjedges Contact' substantially in a line.

Thus, v'when viewed from the top, the` wing da'r'fipers -and sector dampers when Vproperly ex'- tended forni a continuous de'ector all around the duct neck and the corners are substantially closed. Also,Y when viewed from below, the sector dampers meet'in a distinct 'corner which presents a neat appearance.- f course when adjacent wing dampers are vertical, their adjacent edges meet i-n ai line and theA sector dampers may be rotated to the fully inactive position.

dpe-maca Since` no dampers are provided Vbetween the ina'in and branch ducts, the pressure is substantially the same in both, with the exception of frictional losses.

Accordingly, the first step in adjusting the flow is to set the slide damper 9 to the position which permits the required cubic feet per minute of air to pass through the neck.

The wing dampers 2-22-24-26 are then adjusted to the positions required to secure the discharge of the proper volume of air in each of the general directions of flow and to attain the required velocity of flow. If it is found impossible to secure the required volume of iiow in a given direction after installation, the placque may be lowered and the size of the openings will thus be increased.

After the wing dampers are set, the adjacent sector dampers are then rotated until they close the corner.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desire to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarily for purposes of illustration; but instead, he desires protection falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an air outlet tting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a stationary support mounted adjacent to said duct neck and having a lower edge, a distributor in the form of a pyramid having lateral faces, means for adjustably mounting said distributor on said support, transversely and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, and a plurality of dampers mounted for pivoting about one edge on the lower edge of said support for movement towar-d and away from the lateral faces of said distributor, said dampers completely surrounding said duct neck.

2. In an air outlet fitting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent to said duct neck, a distributor, means for mountign said distributor on said support, transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, a plurality of dampers each mounted for pivoting about its upper horizontal edge on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said dampers completely surrounding said duct neck, said distributor mounting means being adjustable to vary the distance between the distributor and said outlet.

3. In an airoutlet tting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent to said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mounting said distributor on said support transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, a plurality of wing dampers pivotally mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said wing dampers being disposed to completely surround said duct outlet, and sector dampers ,movably mounted one on each end of a wing damper, each sector damper being adapted for movement into contact with the sector damper on the adjacent wing damper to form a corner therewith.

4. In an air outlet tting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mountlng said distributor on said support, transversely.

pivotally mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said wing ldampers being disposed to completely surround said duct outlet, quadrant shaped sector dampers disposed one at each end of each wing damper and pivotally mounted at a point adjacent the intersection of the upper and lateral edges of the wing damper. e

5. In an air outlet tting adapted to be applied to an air'duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mounting said distributor on said support, transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, a plurality of wing dampers pivotally mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said wing dampers being dispose-d to completely surround said duct outlet, and substantially quadrant shaped sector dampers disposed one at each end of each wing damper and mounted for motion in a plane parallel to the plane of the wing damper, to serve as an adjustable extension of the wing damper.

6. In an air outlet fitting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the

combination of a support mounted adjacent said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mounting said distributor on said support transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, a plurality of wing dampers pivotally mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said placque, said wing dampers being disposed to surround said duct outlet, and sector dampers pivotally mounted one at each end on each wing damper for movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the wing damper to and from a position beyond the end of the wing damper.

7. In an air outlet tting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mounting said distributor on said support transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck outlet, a plurality of wing dampers mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said wing dampers being disposed to completely surround said duct outlet, and quadrant shaped sector dampers mounted on pivots one at each end of each wing damper, said pivot being disposed closely adjacent an upper corner of the wing damper and closely adjacent the vertex of the central angle of the sector damper.

8. In an air outlet tting adapted to be applied to an air duct neck having an outlet, the combination of a support mounted adjacent said duct neck, an air distributor, means for mounting said distributor on said support, transversely of and in spaced relation with respect to said duct neck cutlet, a plurality of wing dampers pivotally mounted on said support for movement toward and away from said distributor, said wing dampers being disposed to completely surround said duct outlet, and adjustable means mounted on and cooperating with said wing dampers for closing the space between adjacent wing dampers.

9. In an air iiow system the combination of an air duct having a duct neck and an outlet in said neck, a damper associated with said outlet for regulating the effective area of said outlet, a stationary support disposed adjacent said outletI annessi e,- pyrami-dal air distributor havin-g a; larg-e'apex angle and lia-ving a base of greater' area than 'the outlet', adjustable means for suspending said `distributor from said support transversely of the laxis of said outlet, and a. series of dampers vz-:alzrh mounted on said support for pivoting about a horizontal axis vand disposed to completely surround said outlet, each vdamper Vcooperating with said distributor for controlling the size oi the opening through Vwhich air issues from the distributor in a particular horizontal compass direction, said suspending .means being adjustable so that the lsize of the opening between the distributor and the dampers may be Varied by raising and lowering the distributor.

I0. In an air 110W system the combination of an air duct having a duct neck and an outlet in said neck, a damper associated' with said outlet' Vfor regulating the eiective karea of said outlet, a'support disposed adjacent said outlet, an air distributor, means for supporting said distributor transversely of the axis of said outlet, a series of dampers each mounted forpivoting on said Support about a horizontal axis and disposed to completely surround said outlet, each damperV cooperating with said distributor for controlling the size of the opening through which air issues from the distributor in a particular horizontal direction, and sector dampers adjustably mounted on said dampers 'for closing the space between'said dampers after they have been pivo'tally adjusted.

11. In an air flow system the combination of an air duct having a duct neck and an outlet in said neck, a damper associated with said outlet for regulating the effective area of said outlet, a support disposed adjacent vsaid outlet, an air distributor, means for supporting said--distributor REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of .this patent:

UNITED S'IB'IESy PATENTS Number Name Date 845,047 Beernink Feb. 26, 1907 1,886,313 Stewart NOV. l, 1932 1,921,457' Dickinson Aug. 8, 1933 2,212,468 Ferris Aug. 20, 1940 2,350,514 Livar June 6, 1944 2,390,630 Wheller Dec. I1, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,888 Great Britain NOV. 1, 1913 118,648 Australia June 20, 1944 160,118 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1933 y349,802 Great Britain June 4, 1931 377,634 Great Britain July 28, 1932 L172,863 vGreat Britain Oct. 1, 1937 621,483' France Feb. '7, 1927 

